The Simple Delights

Spring has sprung!! This weather is so amazing and Gavin and I are loving spending time outside- going for walks, starting to learn how to do yard work (oh my, it is complicated!) and best of all, eating meals outside on the patio. If you can see past the yellow haze in the air from the 9,000,000 particles of pollen in the air, the weather is PERFECT for dining al fresco!

When I think about Spring time and Spring foods, I think of fabulous crisp vegetables and lovely citrus-y dressing…and after our lovely meal at the Viking Cooking School with our friends Chris and Michelle, I think of panzenela salad.

The version that we made at the school was delicious- though we might as well have eaten a cheese burger because of the amount of butter on the bread and oil in the dressing. So, since I like to think of a salad as a healthy, veggie filled alternative to a cheese burger- I set out to make a lighter version of this delicious salad.

Panzenela Salad
6 servings

3 C day old whole wheat bread, cut into 1 ” chunks
olive oil cooking pray
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 t sea salt

2 C red bell pepper, cut into 1″ pieces
2 C English cucumber, sliced and cut into quarters
1 C tomato, seeded and cut into 1″ pieces
1/2 C green onion, chopped
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 t sea salt
1 T olive oil
1 t fresh basil, chopped
1 t fresh mint, chopped

*crumbled feta, optional
*avocado, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil spray. Place bread pieces on the cookie sheet and spray the top with olive oil. Toss in the garlic and salt and place in the oven to toast for about 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine all of the other ingredients and toss together. To serve, place a 1/2 C of bread on each plate and then top with 1 C of the vegetable mixture.

Top salad with crumbled feta and avocado, if desired.

In the winter, root vegetables take center stage on our dinner plates. I LOVE the bitter sweetness provided by parsnips, turnips, radishes and rutabaga. I love the creamy texture of sweet potatoes and the rich earthiness of caramelized onions. Many nights, I find myself chopping large amounts of beautiful root veggies and simply throwing them on a pan to roast- this week, I tossed them with some whole wheat cous cous, a few herbs, and a little olive oil and we enjoyed a beautiful bowl of wintery, roasted goodness. This dish takes about 5 minutes of effort. Throw the veggies in the oven to roast, make the cous cous, top it with herbs…wha-la!

Roasted Root Vegetable Cous Cous

2 carrots, cut into 1″ pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 1″ pieces
1 C potatoes, cut into 1″ pieces
1 C sweet potato, cut into 1″ pieces
1 C turnips, cut into 1″ pieces
1 C onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t olive oil
1 1/2 C whole wheat cous cous
2 C water
1 t salt
1 t oregano
1 T mint
1 T basil
1 t lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the carrots, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes and turnips into 1″ pieces and put them on a cookie sheet. Spray the tops with olive oil cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Place them in the oven to roast for about 40 minutes.

While the veggies are cooking, in a medium pot over medium heat sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil. Now, add the cous cous and sautee until it starts to slightly toast. Now, add the salt and the water. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes and then using a fork, fluff the mixture.

When the veggies have finished roasting, gently toss them into the cous cous.

Now, add the oregano, mint, basil and lemon zest. Toss together and serve.

**You can sub any of your favorite herbs and veggies in this recipe.

**I topped our cous cous with chopped walnuts and cranberries. YUM!